Monday, June 11, 2012

Justice and Vengeance

Justice is not vengeance. Vengeance is not justice.

Justice is a virtue. Vengeance is a vice. Justice is the way
of the civilized. Vengeance is the recourse of adult children, i.e., those with
puerile mentality or juvenile disposition. Justice is based on truth. Vengeance
is anchored on anger. Justice is a matter of what is right or wrong. Vengeance
is in the realm of revenge. Justice and vengeance cannot coexist in one and the
same subject person, about one and the same issue. Blessed are the just!
Dangerous are the vengeful!

The truth of the matter is that vengeance is injustice.

There is a whale of a difference between being just and
being vindictive – between the prosecution of a perceived malefactor and the
persecution of someone presumed innocent until proved guilty. The difference
here is that the first (prosecution) is in the realm of the rule of law, while
the second (persecution) enters the sphere of unethical conduct. In other
words, prosecution of considered offenders of the law is according to the
demands of objective justice. The persecution however of someone is instigated
by personal disgust anchored on base self-righteousness. This is wrong,
improper – unjust.

The vengeful is an offender of law and a violator or morals.

The law promotes social justice which is first and foremost
premised on commutative justice – equity between individuals. Vengeance is
precisely violative not merely of commutative but also social justice. Reason:
The norms of one-to-one justice elude someone vindictive who is thus eventually
made a cause of social injustice in terms of offending against fair play within
the human community. In short, a vengeful person is in effect a big community
liability.

Woe to people presided by a vengeful leadership/

Instead of serving all, someone vengeful with leadership
position chooses not only whom to favor and defend, but also whom to run after
and penalize – all arguments to the contrary notwithstanding. The site as well
as the might of a vindictive leader is focused more on particular hated
individuals than on the common good or public welfare. The said leader in
effect does not lead but is instead consumed by personal ire and disgust.

Someone fair and just is a blessing to society as well as an
asset to the search and pursuit of what is right and just. On the other hand,
unfortunate are the people led by a narrow-minded public official who does not
even know how to distinguish between justice and vengeance.

Oscar Cruz

About The Blogger

Most Reverend Oscar V. Cruz, D.D. is the Archbishop-Emeritus of Lingayen-Dagupan. He is currently the Judicial Vicar of the National Tribunal of Appeals. He is a prolific writer, having published several dozen books mostly on judicial and moral matters. His most recent book is about the Social Doctrines of the Church. He also has a blog where he posts regularly. He is an avid coin collector and dabbles in woodworking art.